


the most dangerous thing is to love

by Anonymous



Series: of endermen and snow [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Abandonment, Doubt, Enderman Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Hurt Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Hybrid Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Hypothermia, Manipulative Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Near Death Experiences, No Slash, Parental Phil, Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Platonic Cuddling, Post-L'Manberg Complete Destruction, Ranboo has trust issues, Ranboo needs a hug, Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Recovery, Touch-Starved, Trust Issues, Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Winged Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), blame, but not really dream's just mean, dadza ftw, platonic coparenting, these are real people guys that's rude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28636410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Something about just…everythinghe’s saying feels so fundamentallywrongbut Ranboo’s memory isn’t that great at the best of times and the cold and theburningof melted snow don’t help his concentration at all. He’s stopped shivering, he realizes absently, and something tells him that’s bad, but another part screams that it can’t be worse than the man standing before him.A voice calls out, faintly, in the forest.“Ranboo!”Another, from a little closer and behind him.“Where are you, kid?”
Relationships: Ranboo & Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: of endermen and snow [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100597
Comments: 97
Kudos: 1913
Collections: Anonymous





	1. dream is not a nice man

**Author's Note:**

> Set right after L’Manberg’s third canon death (lmao) a little after Phil invites Ranboo to live with him and Techno. I just can't get me enough of those three, they are my favorite thing to come out of the Dream SMP.
> 
> alternate title: ranboo and his three new dads (yes the third one is edward)

Ranboo isn’t sure how he got here. Or where here is. Or why he’s here. He’s not sure of a lot of things, actually, and it’s kinda throwing him off. The pit of dread gnawing at his stomach as he stares out into the softly drifting snow isn’t much help either. 

Or that could just be the cold. He doesn’t think he can feel his feet. Or his hands. Or almost anything, really, except for the slowly growing burn from the snow melting on his skin. 

Was he supposed to be doing something? Going somewhere? 

“Did they abandon you after all? Poor thing.”

Ranboo jerks his head up, eyes widening at the white, ever-smiling mask of the man crouched in front of him. When did he get here?

Dream tilts his head to one side, posture loose and at ease under the falling snow. “What are you doing out here all alone, Ranboo? Have Philza and Technoblade left you too?”

Phil and Techno. He remembers those names. They’re his friends. Phil had let him stay with them after, well, L’Manberg. Right? But Dream just said they left him… He must be lying, he’s  _ Dream.  _ But it  _ sounds _ true. Everyone else  _ did _ leave him, without a second thought. 

But Phil and Techno aren’t like that, right? 

Right?

“Here.” Dream stands, brushes himself off, and offers his hand. “You can trust me about as much as everyone else now, yeah? Let’s get you out of the cold. Staying here isn’t going to do much. It’s not like anyone’s looking for you.”

After a moment of hesitation, Ranboo reaches to grab the man’s hand, but Dream pulls it back at the last second with a short, barked laugh. “Ah, actually, on second thought, maybe it’s best that you stayed here. No one really wants you around for a reason, and this place is nice and out of the way. Maybe with you all tucked away where you won’t cause problems, everything can go back to being nice and peaceful, yeah?”

Ranboo gapes at him, hand still half-outstretched and trembling. “But… what…?”

The admin sighs, tucking his hands in his pockets. “Don’t you get it, Ranboo? Everything that’s happened… it’s all on you. You didn’t want to pick sides so you picked neither, orchestrating the downfall of all the people you loved without even realizing it. But hey, out here? There’s no one to pick. You won’t be able to hurt anyone else.”

“But…”  _ I’ll be all alone _ . Ranboo hunches in on himself, hardly able to lift his arms to grip his legs. “It’s freezing out here, Dream.” He peers up, knowing he’s looking for sympathy in the wrong place. “I’ll die out here. I don’t…” He bites his lip, then admits, “I don’t know where I am.”

“And neither does anyone else!” Dream replies cheerily, absently materializing an axe and spinning it in one hand. “And really, is it such a bad thing to die? You’ll respawn, you still have two lives left. Maybe those last two ex-friends will take pity on you for a little while longer before they push you out again.”

Something about just…  _ everything _ he’s saying feels so fundamentally  _ wrong _ but Ranboo’s memory isn’t that great at the best of times and the cold and the  _ burning _ of melted snow don’t help his concentration at all. He’s stopped shivering, he realizes absently, and something tells him that’s bad, but another part screams that it can’t be worse than the man standing before him.

A voice calls out, faintly, in the forest.  _ “Ranboo!” _

Another, from a little closer and behind him.  _ “Where are you, kid?” _

Dream sighs, dematerializing his axe. “Looks like they feel guilty about leaving you, huh? They’re too nice, too  _ loyal _ for something like you.” He tilts his head, the grin on his mask feeling more like a leer the longer Ranboo looks at it. “Are you ready to hurt them again just by existing?”

“Ranboo!” someone shouts, much closer, and when the ender hybrid looks up he sees Phil. Phil, whose wings are flared out behind him like storm clouds and whose expression is one of tightly contained  _ fury _ that sends ice-cold fear, colder than the snow, shooting down Ranboo’s spine. “Get  _ away _ from him you  _ bastard.” _

With a chuckle, Dream steps back. “We were only having a bit of a chat, Philza. You might want to hurry instead of bickering with me, though. It looks like he’s been out here for a while.”

Ranboo misses what Phil says in return, something cutting and fierce, because his vision goes dark for a moment before he can see again, and suddenly Techno is there, kneeling where the kid had first seen Dream… however long ago.

The other hybrid grabs Ranboo’s shoulder and scans him quickly before scooping him up without warning, sending the world spinning and dimming around him. “Phil, base. Now.”

The warmth of Techno’s chest is a different kind of burn than the snow, Ranboo muses. It’s just so  _ hot _ in comparison to the air, but there’s something comforting about it. Something soothing. Something  _ safe _ .

_ But you’re not safe _ , a voice in Ranboo’s mind whispers with a wheezing, familiar laugh.  _ They’ll remember why they left you out here soon enough, and you’ll be sent back to the burning cold.  _

_ They wouldn’t! _ another, smaller voice objects.  _ They’re your friends! They’re saving you right now! _

_ Or taking you to a more convenient place to die. _ There’s morbid amusement there, and a twisted glee.  _ They’re too good for you Ranboo. They’ll leave you like everyone else. Just you wait and see _ .

Ranboo buries his face in Techno’s cloak, and he only realizes he’s crying when his quiet sobs give him hiccups. He can’t even feel the tears burning down his face with how numb he is. He’s hardly aware of how he’s handed over to someone else, how the wind suddenly picks up around him, how a gentle voice murmurs reassurances into his hair.

He doesn’t quite know when the darkness claims him. All he knows is that the pain (along with everything else) is gone, and he’s finally warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was tempted to leave it there but also I know I currently need all the comfort and fluff I can get so there is definitely a second recovery part, don’t worry.


	2. phil and techno are much nicer than dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Ranboo wakes up, it’s to a mound of blankets pinning him to a bed (that he _knows_ isn’t his because he doesn’t _have_ a bed) and a ceiling that he vaguely recognizes but can’t quite place. All he knows is that he feels safe here. He’s not sure if that’s a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's your comfort, everyone!

When Ranboo wakes up, it’s to a mound of blankets pinning him to a bed (that he  _ knows _ isn’t his because he doesn’t  _ have _ a bed) and a ceiling that he vaguely recognizes but can’t quite place. All he knows is that he feels safe here. He’s not sure if that’s a mistake.

The grounding weight of the blankets prevents him from panicking (or panicking  _ too _ much, at least), allowing him to glance around the room and figure out where he is. 

Oh. Right. Techno and Phil had come for him. He’s at Techno’s house. 

_ They’re too good for you Ranboo _ .

He shakes his head to clear the voice’s echo from it and slowly, dizzily pushes himself into a sitting position. The air is warm, even if he still feels cold fire licking at his skin where the snow had melted (and where tear tracks had fallen like acid down his face).

Looking around, his eyes flicker first to the shiny bell right in front of him, then to the descending ladder to his right. There is no sound from below. Did they... leave him alone?

_ They’re too nice, too  _ loyal  _ for something like you. _

Ranboo shoves the blankets off of him, ignoring how the room spins as he stumbles to his feet.

_ Are you ready to hurt them again just by existing? _

A bottle skitters across the floor as he stumbles across it, the pink residue shimmering in the light from the window, but he disregards it in favor of peeking down the ladder. Seeing no one, he forces his shaky limbs to cooperate and climbs down, taking the two steps to the door from there without bothering to think about preparing for the outdoors. He just needs to  _ leave _ .

He can’t hurt them too. He can’t. Not again.

"̴͈̻̽̐̿̈́͜Y̴̢͕̤͓̎o̷̦̗͋̓͝u̷̧̢͖̞͛͗n̵̟̜̫̓͆͐g̶̡̧͈͇̈́̒́ ̴͎̰̏̈́̀̚ô̷͇͛͐̌n̶̻̿̈e̸̘̣͍͊̈́̈͛,̶̨̈́ ̶̩̑͑w̸̢̛͒͜h̶̦̤̓e̸͙͓̦̮̽̍̕r̵̨̛̩̓̊̕e̶̠͉̙̘̎ ̸̱͚͔̔́ȃ̴̹̳̭̌̂̾r̴̛̙͝e̸̩̅̊̑ ̴̠͎̃͛͝ỹ̷̨͔̦̭͒̌o̸̗̖͒̽́u̷͓̾̒̅ ̸̭̱͛g̶̠̦̜͑͐o̷̘͋͒̅i̸͚̠̽ṅ̸͍̩͊g̶͔̖̗̥̐͋͑?̷̯̙͈́̇͝"̵͖̞͇̓̃

The young half-ender whirls around, tilting his head back to look up at the enderman that’s just… sitting in a boat. They feel familiar. Does Ranboo know them?

...Edward. That’s Edward. Techno’s… roommate? How does a half-piglin end up with an enderman roommate anyway?

Wait, they asked him a question.

"̶͇O̴̘̻͛ȕ̴̱͆̓t̸̯̬̍̀̿͝.̵͚̜̫̖̔͛͑"̶͓̜͍̤̂̎ Ranboo warbles in ender, hand still on the doorknob  even if it’s more for support now than to open it.

"̸͈̖̒Y̸͙̪͎͍̑o̵̧̱̣̻̓̊̄u̴͙͉̹͎͗͐͂̍ ̶͓̈́͠ã̸̲̝r̸̛͖̆̌͌ḙ̶̰̱̿̃͝ ̴̻̮̻̄s̷̺̺̤͕̀̈́̈́t̸̫̄̚͝ḭ̶̢̛̻̻l̵̝̱̀l̷̤̃ ̷͈̺̈́̃̾̃r̴̤̗̾̚e̷̯̓c̵̠̝̈́͋͜o̸̢͍͘ṽ̵̗͎̭̞̐͠e̵̘̞͓̥͊r̴̨̪̅̓͒i̴̡̹̖̊n̴͛̍ͅg̷̛̰̃̿̄.̷̦͚̹̲͘̚͝” Edward tilts their head to one side, mimicking Ranboo. “T̴͕̰͍̯̑͠h̸̹͖̿͠e̷̼̜͍̬͐̿̍ ̸̡̟͖̆̒Ḃ̸͎͒͠l̵͕̺̮ä̶͙͎̺́̈́d̶̜̭̣͗̇ě̵͙̗̝ ̶̤͇̓̃a̷̺̼̍n̴̝̋ḏ̸͓͉̌̎ ̴͖̼͙̙͋̋̒̄ť̶̝̲̻̔̏͝h̷͍̖͛e̶̡̱͙͂ ̴̨͍͈̑͊̇Ȁ̵̧̢͈̮ņ̵̱̼͐̎̃͝ͅģ̷̛̻͉̓̌ę̶̥̣̄l̵̘̺̹̤̊͒ ̷̢͖̘̤̏̽ẃ̶̲ȋ̵̘̪͙͂̾̌l̴̮̈́ḷ̶̂̎ ̸͔͒͠b̵̙͕̋̈́̚e̸̩̤͍̥̅͊̏ ̴͕̍͑̈́̊b̶̘̈́͠͝å̶̦̦͑̈́ć̷̥̟͝k̶̜̰̽̋ ̴̘̳̯͒̊s̷̘̪͗̃̈́̾o̷̡̹̰͂ȏ̵̻̙̞̾n̸̹̊͝.̷̝̅̉̏"̴̠͔̓͗̉

The boy grimaces and tightens his grip on the handle. He hunches his shoulders and turns away. "̸͖̖͋̍̕Ä̸̢́̉͐l̷̪̓͂l̸͖̊͒̕ ̵̝̐ͅt̴̡̛̔̽h̸̘̟̺͑e̶̛͈̝̤̲̾̆ ̵̧̰̱̅͑̕͜m̶̨̲͗͝o̷̪͇͇̅́̈́r̴͎̮̞̂̑e̸̼̬͠ ̴̢̬̰̦̈́͗̑ŗ̵͎̰͌e̴̳̳͐å̴̫̌͌́s̶̢̞̰̦̅͆̽ǫ̸͙͂́n̶͖̝̬̑ ̶̭̂̋͗͝f̵̟̼̋̐̄͝ö̵͚̇̌r̴͍̥̞͔̾͘ ̸̖͇̮͒̋́ͅm̴̟̖͍̓̇ḛ̸͚̇̎̔͝ ̷̙̹͑t̸̨̺͓̓̀͆̏o̸̭̘͙̅̅̚͠ ̷͎͍̅̍̑g̶̞̼͛̓̐͂o̷̢̫̠͙̓̉͊.̴̹̦͜͠"̶̟͎̫̝̅͆́

The boat creaks as Edward shifts, but before the enderman can say anything else, another voice interjects. “Ranboo? What’re you doing up, mate?”

Ranboo flinches and stumbles away from the window, where Phil is now crouching on the sill with his wings still spread from landing. The man frowns, half-lifting a hand towards the kid before seemingly thinking better of it and letting it rest on the window frame. “You were like a popsicle only a few hours ago, you should still be resting.”

"̶̻̱͇̠̈́̏̽̉I̷̙͗-̸̢̺̆̽̓̈́͜-̴̖͕̻̳̉̍"̶̡͙̪̺̈́̊ He stops and clears his throat before continuing in common. “I— I have to go. I can’t stay, I can’t—” He pauses again, hesitating with his heart pounding in his throat. He can hardly force the next words out, barely a breath.  _ “I can’t hurt more people.” _

But Phil, apparently, has incredible hearing, because he slumps against the side of the window at those words, looking stricken. “Oh, no. No, Ranboo. Mate…” He lowers himself from the window slowly, pulling in his wings to appear smaller even if the half-ender child already towers over him. “Ranboo, mate, listen to me. You can’t hurt anyone here. Don’t listen to Dream, whatever he told you. Bastard’s a  _ liar _ , you can’t trust anything he’s said.”

Finally,  _ finally _ , Ranboo takes his hand off the door handle, but only so he can wrap his arms around himself and look at the floor. “But he was  _ right _ . Everything, all of this… L’Manberg and Tommy’s exile and… Just, all of it. It’s all… all my fault. If I hadn’t shown up—”

“Ranboo,  _ no.” _ And there’s a striped bucket hat blocking his view of the floor and arms around him now, holding him as best they can even if the man is so much smaller, and wings wrapping around his back to chase away the chill he hadn’t known was returning. “Mate, you aren’t  _ listening _ to me. You’re  _ good _ , Ranboo, none of that’s your fault. That’s— that’s everyone else’s infighting, that’s not on you.  _ Dream _ had Tommy exiled,  _ Dream _ is the one fighting L’Manberg. That’s not on you, kid. None of that’s on you.” He pulls back slightly, wings still in place protectively, and reaches up to cradle the boy’s face. Ranboo can’t help but lean into the first kind touch in… well, he can’t remember exactly. “You just wanted to help your friends, Ranboo. There’s nothing wrong about that.”

“But,” he warbles, slight ender leaking through. “You shouldn’t have to deal with me, Phil. All of the people I care about… I keep hurting them.”

“Bold of you to assume you can hurt us,” a new voice speaks up startlingly close, and when Ranboo jerks his head up he sees Techno, decked out in netherite and standing in the half-open door. Phil’s wings must have blocked the gust of air, and the chattering in Ranboo’s own mind must have covered up the sound.

Seemingly unbothered by the emotional display right inside his front door, the pigling hybrid locks said door behind him and shrugs off his cloak. Instead of hanging it up, however, he tucks it under Phil’s wings and around Ranboo’s shoulders, leaving one hand right at the crook of the boy’s neck as he squints up at him, scrutinizing his face. “What’s all this about ‘having to deal with you’? You think I do anything I don’t want to?”

Ranboo sniffs, pressing into the point of contact gratefully, and closes his eyes. “I remember something about peer pressure.”

With a scoff, Techno squeezes his shoulder and tugs him further into the house. “I ain’t being pressured here, kid. Now get inside, you’re still freezin’.”

The warbled laugh that gets from him surprises him as much as the other two, and he can’t help the small smile that sneaks its way onto his face. “Yes, sir.”

There’s a couch against one wall that Ranboo can’t quite recall being there before, pressed up next to the wall of chests, but he’s not going to complain about its presence. It’s much easier to just rest here, rather than try and get all six and a half feet of him up that ladder again. 

So much exertion and emotion has taken its toll on him after almost freezing to death, and he falls limply onto the soft cushions under Techno and Phil’s guiding hands. He still stiffens in surprise when the two of them climb on after him, Techno slipping out of his armor before situating himself under the kid’s head as a pillow and Phil sliding under his legs and draping a wing over all of them like a blanket. 

It’s warm, Ranboo thinks, in more than one way. He remembers how he felt when he first woke up, grounded and comfortable and  _ safe _ . He fights sleep, though, half-afraid that this is all a dream and he’ll wake up in the snow still freezing or at spawn with one life gone because he’s been well and truly abandoned or still with Dream, in any circumstance,  the worst possible reality.

"̵͓́ͅT̷̬̓̅h̶̨̦͠ḙ̸̏y̸̧̩̾ ̸̨͖͛w̷̝̽͆ȯ̸̯̻̀n̵̜̾̍'̴̰͎͐t̶̮͎͐ ̸̛̮̯͌l̶̹̓̅e̶̯̅͝a̴͙͑ͅv̶̙͖̈e̷͓͈͛̕ ̴̤̹̃j̶̼̖̔û̵̜̍͜š̶͉t̸̠̮͛̾ ̶̣̚b̷̭̉͝ë̷͈́̓ć̶̻͓a̴̺̔ǔ̶͇s̷̗̎ė̸͔͍͒ ̷̧͚͆̔y̵͛͂͜ô̶̺͝u̶̺͐ ̷̟̌c̶͕͇̓̓l̷̹͐o̴͉͌̎s̶̠̫͘ẽ̸̘ ̶̡̝̔y̶͔̏o̶͎̓̂ų̴͗r̷̜̲̓ ̷̥̑ẽ̶̡̘̈́ŷ̸̮͜e̵̺̾s̶̝͍̑͝,̶̩͘ ̷̞̐̈ẏ̵̬͍o̷̻̅u̷͚͒n̵͙̏̊g̵͙̞͂̕ ̵̫̹͊ǒ̷͓̒n̷̹̽e̵̝̊.̶̠̤̅͛"̸̭̘͑ Edward murmurs, still crouched in their boat and watching on warmly. "̶̺̭͂Ṛ̵̐͜͝e̵̠̥̽s̶̭͋̐t̸̗̍.̷̥͉͆ ̵͔͂͌R̶̭̗̈́e̸̺͒͜͝c̸͓̈́̕ȏ̶̤̝v̷̱̯̄̎ḙ̶̙̄r̴͔͊.̶̙̀͆ ̴͖̋̔T̴̠̑h̷̘̣́e̴̼̋̇y̷̘̏'̸͍̻̏l̴̢̦͌̕ĺ̵̠̇ ̷͙̏s̴̱̠̆̀t̸̗̱͛̏i̴͉̕l̸̪̊l̴̼̑ ̶̟̓͋b̸̡e̵̢̖͒̊ ̸̯͉̆̿ȟ̶̘̳̄e̸̜͋͘r̷͔͕̄é̸̡̺̾.̵͖̾̈́͜"̶̗͗

Ranboo blinks sleepily at him and hums back, "̸̨̀O̸͔̐k̷̟̇̓ȃ̴͎̄y̸̰̟͗.̵̘̱̒ ̵̺͗T̵͇̳͂͠h̶͍͔̋ạ̵̙̈́n̴̝̍k̸̼̀̀ ̵̖̌̂y̷̘̋ȯ̸̹͐u̷͍.̵̣͇̏̐"̵͉

And so he sleeps, surrounded in warmth and safety and with a gentle, warbling ender lullaby drifting to him in his subconscious and careful hands carding through his hair and soft wings wrapped protectively around him.

For once, he isn’t afraid of what will happen when he wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> The ender in normal font in case you can't read it:
> 
> Edward: Where are you going, young one?  
> Ranboo: Out.  
> Edward: You are still recovering. The Blade and the Angel will be back soon.  
> Ranboo: All the more reason for me to go.
> 
> Edward: They won't leave just because you close your eyes, young one. Rest. Recover. They'll still be here.  
> Ranboo: Okay. Thank you.


End file.
